Many grassroots churches in China have a great dilemma and difficulty in management, which is how to get rid of or get out of paternalism.
After the reform and opening up, the Chinese church entered the fast lane toward rapid progress. However, due to various historical reasons, until now, many churches are still paternalistic. The church is governed by one or a few leaders, with all members of the church needing to obey the leader.
The paternalism that was suitable for the church decades ago is starting to expose many problems today. The new generation of Christians is very uncomfortable with the paternalistic leadership of the older church leaders, with violent conflicts in both philosophy and practice. After receiving theological education, more and more young believers and church staff expect the church to practice discipline to restrain leader behavior, and even overhaul the church management system.
A few days ago, C (pseudonym), a pastor born in the 1980s in the Central Plains, shared his advice for young pastors with the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper. As Pastor C has served in the church for many years with rich pastoral experience and has come through the paternalism in the church, he hoped that today's young pastors could avoid detours to grow up quickly.
"A big problem for young Chinese pastors, especially those who serve full time, is that they should say yes to the employers. The church leaders, who support the full-time pastors with all they need, expect them to do more, with young pastors feeling a lot of pressure. It is difficult for them to meet the church’s expectations due to their limited ability and energy. Living depending on others at a young age, the pastors always feel disheartened towards themselves and the church, as their words are of little effect because of their low positions. C said, "As you are just a young man in your 20s with no social experience and work experience, it's actually very difficult for them to adopt your suggestions, and also it is a very risky thing to put the whole church in your hands.”
C believed that instead of tilting at windmills like Don Quixote, young pastors should calm down to study hard and improve themselves.
C added, "It is almost impossible to change the church management system in a way of revolution. My advice to those young pastors is to increase their influence, which is radical. I also know that there are indeed many problems of bureaucracy and paternalism in the church, which test the endurance of young pastors very much. If you have a will of changing the church, you should stay in the church firmly. On the one hand, work hard to cooperate with the work of the church and gain the testimony in the church, but on the other hand, maintain your independence and protect yourself from being assimilated by the environment like lotus unsullied from mud. When young pastors grow to be an influencer in the church, they can do many things that they want to do, as the previous generation may grow old and retire."
C believed that paternalism with many advantages was adopted in most Chinese churches, especially house churches, but we should see whether the patriarch was good or bad. In fact, the church system could not be perfected in the present circumstance. It took a great deal of hard work to realize the church system that many young pastors expect and recognize, and the church could not create conditions to achieve it due to various reasons. In contrast, patriarchy was much simpler and easier, with one leader doing everything. Due to the influence of the traditional Chinese culture, it was actually very difficult for the Chinese church to adopt a more democratic system. The church becoming democratic constrainedly would only lead to many internal struggles and intrigue, resulting in people struggling for power and profits.
"To change paternalism, young pastors should learn to grow well while maintaining their independence, then the patriarchal system will naturally perish," C concluded.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
中国不少基层教会在管理上很大的困境和难题就是如何摆脱家长制，从家长制中走出来。
改革开放以后，中国教会得以进入高速发展的快车道。然而，由于种种历史原因，直到如今为止，很多教会的管理体系实质上依然属于家长制教会，即教会由一名或少数几名领袖来治理，教会全体成员需要顺服领袖。
适合几十年前教会的家长制管理体系在今天开始逐渐暴露出诸多问题。新一代的年轻基督徒对老一代教会领袖的家长制风格很不适应，无论是理念还是实践中都出现了剧烈冲突。并且随着受过系统神学装备的年轻基督徒的增加，越来越多的信徒和教会工人期待教会能够规范教会纪律，约束家长制作风的领袖，甚至全盘改革教会管理体系。
日前，中原某地一80后传道人C弟兄给基督时报同工分享了他对年轻传道人的建议。C弟兄在教会服事多年，有着丰富的牧养经验，同时他也是在家长制的体系上逐渐走过来的. C弟兄非常盼望现在的年轻传道人能够少走一些弯路，少绕几个圈子，尽快成长起来。
“中国年轻传道人尤其是全职服事的年轻传道人的一个很大的问题就是拿人手短。教会供养你，你所有的一切都是教会来供应的，因此就会期望着你能够做更多的事情，而全职传道人就会因此感受到很大的压力，毕竟人是很有限的，能力有限，精力也有限，有时候很难满足教会对你的期待。生活来源是依靠于别人，这样就硬不起来，而且原本就年轻，人微言轻，说出来的话没有几个人会认真听，提出来的建议也很难被采纳，最后往往导致对教会和自己都心灰意冷。”C弟兄说：“因为你本来就只是一个20来岁的年轻人，可以说几乎没有任何社会阅历，没有多少工作经验。这样的情况下其实教会也很难采纳你的意见，教会执行你的意见，将整个教会交在你手上，无疑是非常冒险的一件事情。”
C弟兄认为，年轻传道人与其像唐吉柯德一样去和风车战斗，不如静下心来，好好的学习和提升自己。（==当summary）
C弟兄说：“想要通过一种类似于革命的方式去改变教会管理体系，这几乎是不可能的。我给那些年轻传道人的建议是，提高个人影响力，这个是根本。我也知道，教会里面确实存在着很多官僚主义、家长制的问题，这样的状况非常考验年轻传道人的心志。 如果你有那个心志，那你就坚定不移的在那里待着，一边需要努力配合教会的工作，得到教会的见证，但是另一方面年轻传道人也需要保持自己的独立性，努力保守自己，不让自己被环境同化，出淤泥而不染。年长的人他们会老去，会退休，但是年轻传道人年轻啊，你会不断成长起来，在教会里成为有影响力的人，然后那个时候你可以按照你的想法来做很多事情。”
C弟兄认为，家长制其实是有很多优点的，以至于曾经中国的教会尤其是家庭教会基本上都不约而同的采取了家长制的模式，问题是这个家长是好还是坏而已。很多教会其实根本没有那个条件和环境去完善教会体制，实现那种很多年轻传道人期待和认可的教会体制其实是需要很苛刻的条件的，而中国教会由于种种原因导致很难达成这些条件，而相比之下家长制就简单的多，容易得多，一个领袖大包大揽。而且受中国传统文化影响，至少在现在的中国教会，其实很难采用比较民主的教会体制。强行弄成民主制的样子，也只会导致很多内部斗争，勾心斗角，争权夺利，你下我上。
“而想要改变家长制，我认为根源在于年轻传道人自身，年轻传道人好好的学习和成长，同时又能够保持自己的独立性。如此一段时间以后，家长制自然而然就会走向消亡。”C弟兄如此表示。
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/37160
对话| 一80后传道人给年轻传道人的建议：面对传统的家长制教会，你该如何做？
Many grassroots churches in China have a great dilemma and difficulty in management, which is how to get rid of or get out of paternalism.
After the reform and opening up, the Chinese church entered the fast lane toward rapid progress. However, due to various historical reasons, until now, many churches are still paternalistic. The church is governed by one or a few leaders, with all members of the church needing to obey the leader.
The paternalism that was suitable for the church decades ago is starting to expose many problems today. The new generation of Christians is very uncomfortable with the paternalistic leadership of the older church leaders, with violent conflicts in both philosophy and practice. After receiving theological education, more and more young believers and church staff expect the church to practice discipline to restrain leader behavior, and even overhaul the church management system.
A few days ago, C (pseudonym), a pastor born in the 1980s in the Central Plains, shared his advice for young pastors with the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper. As Pastor C has served in the church for many years with rich pastoral experience and has come through the paternalism in the church, he hoped that today's young pastors could avoid detours to grow up quickly.
"A big problem for young Chinese pastors, especially those who serve full time, is that they should say yes to the employers. The church leaders, who support the full-time pastors with all they need, expect them to do more, with young pastors feeling a lot of pressure. It is difficult for them to meet the church’s expectations due to their limited ability and energy. Living depending on others at a young age, the pastors always feel disheartened towards themselves and the church, as their words are of little effect because of their low positions. C said, "As you are just a young man in your 20s with no social experience and work experience, it's actually very difficult for them to adopt your suggestions, and also it is a very risky thing to put the whole church in your hands.”
C believed that instead of tilting at windmills like Don Quixote, young pastors should calm down to study hard and improve themselves.
C added, "It is almost impossible to change the church management system in a way of revolution. My advice to those young pastors is to increase their influence, which is radical. I also know that there are indeed many problems of bureaucracy and paternalism in the church, which test the endurance of young pastors very much. If you have a will of changing the church, you should stay in the church firmly. On the one hand, work hard to cooperate with the work of the church and gain the testimony in the church, but on the other hand, maintain your independence and protect yourself from being assimilated by the environment like lotus unsullied from mud. When young pastors grow to be an influencer in the church, they can do many things that they want to do, as the previous generation may grow old and retire."
C believed that paternalism with many advantages was adopted in most Chinese churches, especially house churches, but we should see whether the patriarch was good or bad. In fact, the church system could not be perfected in the present circumstance. It took a great deal of hard work to realize the church system that many young pastors expect and recognize, and the church could not create conditions to achieve it due to various reasons. In contrast, patriarchy was much simpler and easier, with one leader doing everything. Due to the influence of the traditional Chinese culture, it was actually very difficult for the Chinese church to adopt a more democratic system. The church becoming democratic constrainedly would only lead to many internal struggles and intrigue, resulting in people struggling for power and profits.
"To change paternalism, young pastors should learn to grow well while maintaining their independence, then the patriarchal system will naturally perish," C concluded.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Advice From Millennial Pastor: How Can We Face Paternalistic Church?
